No Golden Finger, Food, Palace Intrigue, Power Plays, Comeback, Sweet Romance, Lighthearted
[Palace intrigue? Catfights? Not here! There's nothing a good meal can't solve!]
Shen Zhiyi, heir to a family of imperial chefs, enters the palace as the lowliest maid and hides her identity as a culinary genius while investigating the truth behind her family's unjust disgrace. Her goal: the highest position in the Imperial Food Bureau!
Assigned to scrub the chamber pots from the start? No problem. She can turn them into works of art!
Bullied by a vicious palace maid? One plate of "daggers hidden in smiles" pastries, and she'll be running to the toilet until she questions her whole life!
Caught in a concubine's feud? A bowl of "calm and collected" lotus seed soup will soothe the lady's anger and whet her appetite in an instant!
With her astonishing cooking skills, this little maid rules the harem!
The maids who envy her: "Hmph, she's just a cook!" A moment later, they're drooling: "So good! A Yi's food is delicious!"
The noble consort trying to win her over: "A Yi, I've been feeling unwell lately. I just want to eat something you make..."
The female official trying to put her in her place: "This dish... (silently finishes every bite) Ahem, it's passable."
Even the cold-hearted emperor begins showing up at the imperial kitchen every day by "coincidence."
The emperor, expressionless: "...Just passing by." (But his eyes never leave the freshly cooked Dongpo pork.)
Shen Zhiyi, raising an eyebrow: "Your Majesty, would you like a bowl to try?"
The emperor, affecting an air of restraint: "...Yes." (Overjoyed inside: At last, you asked!)
She uses food to defuse crises, win people's hearts (and stomachs), pass along intelligence, and carefully advance her plans. She'll restore her family's glory and, along the way, win the heart of the tsundere empress's younger brother, who keeps dropping by to freeload on her cooking!
After Swapping Marriages with My Cousin, the Cold, Rugged Man Gets a Face-Slapping Change of Heart
The Three-and-a-Half-Year-Old's Spoilers Clear Her Whole Family's Name
The Frail, Weepy Fake Heiress Can Punch with a Hundred Thousand Jin of Force
Love in the Days of Innocence: The Jinghua Romance
The Voluptuous Supporting Actress Gives Up Her Scheming, and the Big Shot’s Face-Slapping Is So Satisfying
It's great! Why hasn't anyone rated it? I read dozens of chapters in one go. Although the female lead is bullied in the early episodes, she always manages to escape danger. The descriptions of the ingredients are also just right. Very good!